finally reading Victoria Goddard’s The Hands of the Emperor and it’s really got all of the good fantasies in it. sky ships and sea trains. a functional imperial bureaucracy. the loneliest god-emperor you’ve ever seen and a big sprawling rambunctious family to love him. death-defying devotion to your friendships. a deeply intimidating clothier who will give you a personal makeover upon promotion. a lot of competent people trying their level best to survive mountains of paperwork. disgustingly gorgeous textiles. academic digressions into historical research that hijack entire chapters. an unspecified cataclysm that fractured time, space, and maybe reality, but don’t worry that was a thousand or maybe just twenty years ago and we built a functional bureaucracy out of the debris eventually. we’re dismantling the aristocracy and it’s taking a moment, but the rehauling of the meritocratic exams is bringing promising young candidates from the hinterlands to reform the future. oh by the way we rolled out universal basic income. the spreadsheets are many but so are your assistants helping you make sense of it. you are finally loved and appreciated and recognized for all you have done. you are bringing the fire back to the hearth of the world. you’re doing it, you’re doing it, it’s really happening. put your pen down, the meetings can wait until tomorrow. you can rest now
2. Are there particular authors you would say helped guide you?
I don't think so, at least not on a conscious level. A lot of fiction has made me question my philosophy & a lot of nonfiction has given me very specific information so they've obviously influenced my decision-making that way, but I think I tend to turn inward for decisions more than outward.
6. What book/series/author do you turn to in tough times?
I absolutely go to either Robin McKinley's books or the Anne of Green Gables series. When I am having a hard time I just want to spend a while somewhere else, and both of them are very atmospheric and very comforting for me.
3. What fictional character is most important for you today?
A very hard question, but excluding my D&D characters I'd say either Kip from The Hands of the Emperor or Wei Wuxian from The Untamed! Kip's philosophy and journey is very meaningful and inspiring & I recently re-read HOTE so it's on my mind, while on the opposite side of the spectrum I've just read so much fic about Wei Wuxian I think he kind of has to be on here haha!
1. Who was the most important fictional character for you growing up?
This one was really hard for me to choose, but I think Alanna from The Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce! I loved that she never gave up, and that she was kind and brave and clever and refused to let other people's opinions stop her from pursuing her dreams. Probably most important though was that she had a temper and was still awesome, since that's something I really struggled with as a kid!
4. What book/series/author do you think has most heavily informed who you are today?
The obvious answer would be Tamora Pierce for the various role models (Alanna, Sandry, Kel) but as I've already answered one with her I will instead pull a deep cut and go with The Starry Rift: Tales of New Tomorrows. It's an anthology of stories about space and I remember reading it and listening to Drops of Jupiter and looking up at the stars wondering what's out there. It helped push me into a lifelong obsession with space, and now I'm an astrobiologist 😆
7. Is there a book that really changed how you view the world?
Lots of them! But today I think I'll balance things out with a recent favorite, Worn by Sofi Thanhauser, that really made me re-examine the importance of clothing on history, culture, & our modern world. I really recommend it!